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Police: Day care owner charged with trying to run down 2 men

Victims not injured in incident

A Jamaica Plain day care owner charged with trying to run over two men with her car faces a judge on Tuesday.

Police: Day care owner charged with trying to run down 2 men

Victims not injured in incident

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Updated: 5:44 PM EDT May 15, 2012

BOSTON —

A Jamaica Plain daycare owner charged with trying to run over two men with her car faced a judge on Tuesday.

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Police responded to a 911 call Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Arc-En-Ciel Daycare and Montessori School on Rockwood Street where two men told officers they were directing traffic in the parking lot for a church event.

The men said they had to jump out of the way when daycare owner Linda Chery-Valentine, 46, drove towards them in her car.

“They both reported that they were helping to direct traffic in the church parking lot when the defendant, who runs a day care in the same building as the church, drove toward them at a high rate of speed and only missed hitting them because they jumped out of the way,” said Assistant District Attorney, Helle Sachse.

Chery-Valentine, who runs the school in the basement of the church, then got out of her car screaming at the victims before she pushed one of them, according to the men. She was allegedly angry that she had an open house at her school which was scheduled at the same time as the church event.

"She exited her motor vehicle and screamed at them saying, 'I'm going to own this church when I'm done with you.’”

Her attorney said the allegations against Chery-Valentine are false and that the daycare and the church have been locked in a legal dispute over her lease. He claims the church has been trying to force her out of her business.

“They want to displace her and take over her business,” said defense attorney, Douglas Martin. “That's what's going on here.”

The victims were not injured in the incident. Chery-Valentin was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. She was released on personal recognizance following her arraignment and is due back in court on June 11.

“The facts will bear the truth out that she has done nothing,” Martin said.